Fluid-clutch.



J. W. ROSOHE.

FLUID CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1910.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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J. W. ROSOHE. 'ILUID GLUTOH. APPLICATION FILED mmaa, 1910'.

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Patented Oct. '15, 1912.

J. W. ROSGHE.

FLUID CLUTCH. APPLIOATION FILED MAB.26, 1910.

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- gle crank ttYiC JOSEPH W. ROSCHE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FLUID-CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application filed March 26. 1910. Serial No. 551,712.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, Josnrn W'. Rosonn, 1 a citizen of the United States, residing at Ivlinneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful lmprovcment in .l luid-Ulutches, of which the following is a specification.

lly invention relates to improvements in liquid clutches and my object is to render the control of power transmitters more complete and flexible, and to secure this by a mechanism which shall give neither shock nor jar to connectedinachinery, and shall be simple in manipulation and completely self lubricating. To secure these results I use a radial system of pistons connected to a sinl operating in cylinders fixed in a shell to which rotary power is applied. The transmitting medium is a suitable fluid contained within the shell and supplied to the cylinders by suitable valves and passageways. These devices as I. have used them are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which constitute part of my specification.

in said, drawings application of my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation 01 my invention; Fig. 3 a plan view of the same; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line'iL-A of Fig. 3, the shaft, crank and system of pistons being omitted to simplify the View; Fig. 5 is a section on line B-B of Fig. 2, the cranks and. system of pistons being omitted to simplify the view; 6 is an elevation of the transmitter illustrating; the p sitions of the ditl'erentpistons at one position of the crank, a portion of the cover being removed; Fig. 7 is a partial cross section on line (F-C of Fig. 6, the valves, shaft, crank and pistons being left in full; Fig. 8 is a section on line D-D of Fig. 6: and Figs. 9 and 10 are sections of de- Figure 1 illustrates the tails showing the check valves and their cages. Similar numerals in the different figures refer to identical parts.

In the drawings 2 represents a cylindrical shell or housing closed on one end by the disk plate which makes a fluid tight joint with it. The shell is formed with a plurality of inwardly projecting cylinders 4 which are integral. and longitudinally tangent to a circle about the center or axis at the shell. A shaft 5 enters the inner end of this shell upon its axis through a stutling box 6 and throttle pins T arranged in a circle and equally spaced apart, enter through the stulli'ng boxes 8. \Vithin the shell near its inner end is an annular pressure reservoir chamber 9 connecting to a chamber 10 adjoining the plate 3 through radial recesses 11 lying between the chamber 9 and shaft 5. The reservoir chamber 10 also connects with the chamber 9 through circumferential slots 12 forming ingress ports from the chamber 10 into the outer end of each cylinder for fluid. An egress port'l tfor each cylinder adjoins the ingress port thereof and connects with chamber 9. Intel-posed between each pair of ports 12 and 1 1 is an automatic check valve 13 which permits ingress of fluid into the cylinder with whiclnsaid ports are associated and prevents egress of said fluid hack into the chamber 10. There is also an automatic check valve 15 in each port 14- which is closed to fluid in the chamber 9 and prevents the fluid forcing back from chamher 9 into the connected cylinder.

Pistons 17 in the cylinders are connected by links 18 to a pitman wheel 19 which is free to revolve on the wrist of a double crank 20 in such a manner that during each revolution of the crank 20 with relation to the shell 2, the pistons 17 perform one complete reciprocation within the cylinders 1. The links 18 are connected with the pitmau wheel 19 at equal distances from the axis of the wrist of the crank 20. The links 18 are formed with their pitman ends designed to engage a succeeding link in the retracted position of the piston and lock the pitman 't'rom revolution in the casing 2 to produce extension of a preceding piston. The position of the links 18 on the pitman wheel is substantially tangential to the circle about the axis of the crank wrist through the points of connection of the links 18 and lie on the axis of the cylinder. This method of connecting the links 18 permits the reciprocation of the pistons in the cylinders 4 with equal oscillation of the links on the two sides of the axis. of the cylinders during their working stroke. The connection of all the pistons with the pitman wheel in their different positions oi reciprocation imparts the ditl'erent stresses in the dillercnt pistons to the pitman wheel simultancously and the resulting stress is transmitted to the pitman wheel by the crank 20 equalizing the action of the pistons. The crank 20 is carried by the shaft 3 whiclrhas hearings in the shell 2 and the plate 3 and is free to revolvc therein.

The check valves 13 are closed to tluid'in corresponding cage. v 13 'islimited by pins 27 passing through the stems and into slots 28 in said sleeves.

"so pins 7 which havea diagonal guide slot 42 engaging pin 43.0n the stem 44 of valves 37 "45 shell 2 by a cone clutch 48.

" or by other slots 14 and reston valve seats 21 in cages 22, which have slots or ports 23 corresponding withportsli'lof shell 2, and which are threaded into saidshell in such a manner as to be removable through the openings in the shell, 2 closed by plugs 24. Each valve13 has a stem 25 sliding in a sleeve 26 on the The motion-of valves The check valves are closedto fluid in' chamber 9 and rest on valve seats- 29 on cages 30, said cages'being formedwith open.

lugs 31 'correspondingwith' slots 14. -The 15 cages '30 are threaded into the shell 2 in such a manner as to .be removable through the openings closed by the plugs 32. Each valve 15 is formed with a stem 33 which slides in'a sleeve 34-on' t-he corresponding cage. 'llhe motion of valves 15. is limited by pins carried by the: stems '33 and sliding slots 36 in said. sleeves.

Between chamber 9 and the radial recesses.

llare mechanically operated throttle valves '25 37 which have valve stems 38 operating in guide sleeves 39. These guide sleeves have heads 40 which :are threaded 'into shell 2 insuch a manner as to be removable through the openings closed bythe plugs 41. The action of valves 37 iscontr'olled by throttle 111' such a manner thatv the longitudinal motionof the pins 7 causes pins 43 to traverse slots 42 and forces valves 37 to open. The closingof said valves may ve'rsing the motion of sald pressure against said valves. Throttle pins .7 are operated as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, .by

' 4 means of a controlling collar 45 which slides on shaft 5, the action of said collar'being secured by a'suitable lever 46.. Integral with the plate 3' is a truncated cone 47 applied to the through which power may be In operation my device'is located between the driving and driven elements. Shaftfi for example being continuous with thedrive shaft of somelniachine such as an automobile -50 the speed ofwhich is -to be changeable, while the power-is applied to shell 2 by a cone I clutch 48 engaging with cone 47 on plate 3 equivalent means. All cavities shell 2:being filled with oil or other suitable fluid, the application of rotary power to said shell revolves it and tends.to cause the pistons 17 to move within the cylinders 7 4 witha reciprocating motion. As each pistonis being withdrawn from its tends to draw oil through its valve 13'-from the reservoir chamber 10 and during the recylinder it 'mainder of the stroke closes valve 13 and tends to force this oil through valve 15 into the annular chamber 9. It is evidentv that .'65 the oil thus pumped into chamber 9, by all be effected by re pins or by fluid the pistons can return to reservoir 10 through recesses 11 and so complete its cir; cuit jof flow, If valves 37 are closed, however, oil can not pass from chamber 9 to reservoir 10, the

only if valves 37 are open. I

circulation of oil is blocked, ai id-as all the cavities of the shell are at all times full of oil,

the action of the is blocked; This I 20 and shaft 5 with relation'to shell; 2, and shaft 5. and s'hell'2 must pistons in their cylinders revolve together stops the rotation of crank;

thus transmitting the full speed andpower" of the When the valves allow all the oil return freely from-the chamber 9. to resenvoir' 10, the relative motion between shaft and shell 2 will be a maximum and shaft power clutch to thegdrivesshaft 37 are open 'suttliciently to, 'pumpediby the. pistons to will be stationary ornearlylso. Within the limits of relative motion, betweenshaft .and shell 2 produced by the open and closed positions of valves 37, any desired relativemotion can be secured by partially-openin valves 37 thus taizin I revolving at any un form speed, any desired speed forthe (iIlVe' shaft ot the machine.

from the power sha- In accordance with the patent statutes have describedthe principles ofjoperationof my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to. represent the best embodiment thereof but- I desire to have understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can -be carried out byother means and apalie'dlto uses otherwthan those above .set Zorth within the scope of the following claims. Having described-my invention, w;

claim as new andv desire to protect by Letters.

Patent is:

1. In a'fiuid clutch, a rotatable casing and a crank shaft journaled in said casing, a plurality of cylinders mounted on solid cas- 1n'g,p1stons reciprocating in saldeylinders,

a pitman wheel freely journaled on the crank ofsaid shaft, links pivotally mounted on saidwheel successively about its perimeter in the same plane and connected with said pistons to operate the latter, said links being mounted on said shaft and operable in said cylinders, said cylinders having inlet passages communicating with atreservoi-r chamber in said casing-near its periphery" and outlet passages communicating with an an .nular, pressure chamber in said casing, said pressure chamber communicating with 'said reservoir chamber through a passageway,

and a control valve in said passageway adapted to control the flow of liquid from said plurality of cylinders throu h said chamber, whereby in operation liqui is supplied tosaid cylinder inlets through the revolution ofisaid casing and the speed of said plurality of pistons .in the cylinders is shaft having. valved inlets from said reservoir at the periphery thereof andvalve outlets to said pressure chamber adapted to receive liquid from said cylinders, pistons operating In said cylinders to draw llquid from said reservoir and force it into said annular chamber, a pitman wheel journaled freely on said crank shaft and connected with said pistons to operate them and equalize the pressure thereon and a control valve between said pressure chamber and reservoir ada' ted to regulate the fiow of liquid from sai piston, the connection between said 'pit man and piston being axial of said cylinder midway of the working stroke of said piston, whereby the action of said pistons is 7 equalized and regulated.

4 In a device of the class setforth, a cylindrical casing havin a plurality of piston cylinders, their a'xes being' tangential to a circle about the axis of said cylinder, :1

crankshaft journaled' on the axis ofsaid casing and having, a crank pin, pistons reciprocating' in'sald cylinders, and a pitman =wheel freely journaled on said crank pin and links pivoted to th'e'periphery of said pitman wheel and to said pistons to operate the same, whereby a plurality of pistons may be operated in the same casing by links positioned substantially upon the axes of said cylinders.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

JOSEPH W. ROSCHE. 

